Get your grill on!

BY DIANE C. BEAUDOIN

Even if it hasn't been an ideal summer to date, that shouldn't stop anyone from firing up the grill when the rain stops for a while. Being a grill fanatic I have been known to grill even in a bit of rain, but for the most part, it is best enjoyed under dry skies.

One method of grilling I learned back in 2005 while I was on duty in Louisiana for Hurricane Katrina was using a dry rub on meats instead of traditional barbcue sauce. Dry rubs add flavor much deeper than wet sauce, even though i confess to loving a great sauce on most food. Dry rubs are so easy to make, keep for indefinite amounts of time, and can flavor up meat, chicken and pork like nobody's business.

I will also share with you a glaze for grilling fruit that I've found to

be nothing short

of spectacular. Who said you can't grill up fruit for dessert, or as an appetizer? Fruit is so juicy at this time of year, and grilling it adds some wonderful textures and aromas, and will make your mouth very happy it's summer.

Any meal can become a party when the grill is involved. Seems to invite neighbors and folks who drop in because they can smell something wonderful happening in your back yard or deck. When fruit starts to grill up, your whole neighborhood will be trying to figure out what you are doing, so make up some extra for those that are too curious to stay home. The glaze is a simple mixture with honey and lime juice and a few other ingredients, then added extras for specific fruits. I believe you will be at the local farmer's market looking for more fruit to grill up once you try it.

My grand kids love fruit of any kind, so when we make a back yard cookout, they are first in line for dessert. Add some ice cream to the grilled fruit and you are going to be amazed at the elegance, yet ease of doing this.

Both of these recipes are from down south, and I am so happy to have gotten them. After I got home it was the first thing I did for my own family so they too could enjoy these special flavors.

So first off, here is the dry rub recipe for you to enjoy. Make extra and keep it in a plastic container for future use. Any meat you want to use will absorb these rich flavors and come out very tender.